SERVICE ABOVE SELF


It came up 400 mi les short but nevertheless it established a record flight for a seaplane of 6045 miles from Dundee to Alexander Bay in South Africa, taking off on October 6, 1938. Maia was destroyed by German bombers in Poole harbour on May 1941. Mercury was broken up in 1941 so that its aluminium could be recycled for use in the war effort. The concept had an unusual legacy. In 1976 NASA needed to transport the Space Shuttle between the Kennedy Space Centre and Edwards Air Force base between each mission, and to get the craft airborne for gliding tests. A NASA engineer remembered the Mayo composite and NASA modified a second- hand Boeing 747 as the carrier aircraft. The McManus Galleries in Dundee have models of the Maia/Mercury on display. Flying boats were to make a further appearance on the Tay in 1942 when RAF Woodhaven opened with the arrival


OCTOBER 2019: ISSUE 126


of Norwegian detachment Flight 1477 with four PBY5 Consolidated Catalina flying boats. They became a familiar sight on the Tay for the next three years. Flight 1477 was absorbed into a new, much lager unit 333 Squadron in May 1943 with Catalinas operating out of Woodhaven and another from Leuchars using Mosquito fighter bombers. The squadron was tasked with hunting out German U-boats. The Catalinas were also used for reconnaissance and carried secret agents and saboteurs to occupied Norway. Norwegian royals visited Wormit on several occasions and a commemorative stone still remains at Woodhaven pier. In July this year the Norwegian Consul attended a ceremony at Woodhaven to mark the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.


Every year our members, colleagues, schools and groups and friends fill shoeboxes to send to Eastern Europe for Christmas. Shoeboxes are provided by the Club and folk fill them with items requested. Boxes can be filled with items for babies , chi ldren, teenager s or household and suitable items are listed on the boxes for your information. Last year we managed to gather more than 200 - a pleasing total - a proportion of more than 10,000 collected by the 88 clubs in District 1010, the best giving District in the UK. Members should now be asking friends and members of groups they belong to if they would like to help. If members of the community would like to help us with this project please contact a member you may know, email or leave a message on our Website or Facebook page or our Secretary at secretary@Kilrymont.rotary1010.org and we will get a box/boxes to you. NB Boxes need to be filled and returned to us by the first week in November.


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